Verdict: A memoir by Chicago journalist David W. Berner is a heart wrenching and inspirational account of self-discovery.

David Berner had it all — a very successful career as a broadcast journalist, a beautiful wife and family, and a good income.

Life took a drastic 180 when his father became terminally ill; he lost his job and his marriage fell apart. But it’s always darkest before the light and a serendipitous opportunity helped Berner get to his light.

After accepting a teaching position in an impoverished and troubled Chicago-area school district, he had no idea where life would take him or what these students would be like. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he ended up gaining much more than he ever thought he would. His students, representations of society’s throw-aways, taught him invaluable lessons about himself and why he became a journalist in the first place.

Reviewed by IR Staff